WHERE WE WORK

After creating cohort chapters in Philadelphia; Cambridge, MA; Hartford, CT and Harlem, Say Yes began to offer its services to every public high school student across communities. The first Say Yes community-wide chapters were in the New York cities of Syracuse (since 2008) and Buffalo (2012).

Where we work

Say Yes to Education was founded in 1987. For its first two decades, Say Yes provided scholarships and support services to cohorts of 50 to 300 children each in chapters in Philadelphia; Cambridge, MA; Hartford, CT and Harlem in New York City. Armed with the lessons learned during that experience, Say Yes began piloting its community-wide strategy in 2008 in the upstate New York city of Syracuse. It has since established community-wide chapters in Buffalo (2012), Guilford County (Greensboro-High Point), North Carolina (2015) and Cleveland (2019).

Community-wide Chapters

Buffalo, NY

Founded in 2012 in New York’s second-largest city, the Say Yes Buffalo partnership provides more than 40,000 students in the city’s public and charter schools with access to college or other post-secondary scholarships.

Cleveland, OH

By leveraging the ongoing success of the Cleveland Plan, the region’s strong history of collaboration, committed public sector leaders, and an organized and robust philanthropic and nonprofit sector, Cleveland committed to bringing Say Yes to Cleveland. After work by over 100 community representatives over 18 months, Say Yes Cleveland launched in January 2019.

Guilford County, NC

After a national search, Say Yes announced on Sept. 17, 2015, that it had selected Guilford County, NC — which includes the cities of Greensboro and High Point, and serves 72,000 public school students in the county school district — as the site of its third community chapter.

Syracuse, NY

The first Say Yes community-wide chapter was launched as a pilot in the upstate New York City of Syracuse in 2008. It currently provides services and scholarships to nearly 20,000 public school students and their families.